Spring bed-bottom.



J. W. GROWELL. SPRING BED BOTTOM. APPLIGATION FILED 11017.4, 190a.

Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

%zzWUm we? Z,

J. W. GROWELL.

SPRING BED BOTTOM.

APPLIUATION nun NOV. 4, 1908.

914,246 Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

2 mum-sum 2.

m: nouns PKTERS co vuunmarou n c 'nwntov JOHN W. GROWELL, OF LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

SPRING BED-BOTTOM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 4, 1908.

Patented March 2, 1909.

Serial No. 461,042.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that l, Jens i 'V. CROWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lexington, in the county of Davidson and State of North. Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spring Bed- Bottoms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spring bed bottoms of that type provided with means for taking up the sag in the bottom so as to maintain the desired degree of tautness.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify the construction and operation of devices of this character so as to be comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and apply, reliable and efficient in use, and so designed that the bed bottom can be packed in a small space for storage or transportation.

nother object of the invention is the provision of a bed bottom in the nature of an attachment for beds of ordinary construction and comprising brackets arranged to hold rolls at the head and foot of the bed and over which the ends of the wire web or bottom extends, in connection with a draft device connected with the ends of the web or bottom for adjusting the rigidity of the bed bottom.

1V ith these objects in view and others, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel fea tures of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

in the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1is aplan view of the improved bottom applied to a bedstead, portions of the woven fabric or Web of the bottom being broken away. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view 011 line 22, Fig. 1, showing one corner of the bed bottom. Fig. 3 is a similar View showing a modified form of the device. 4 is a transverse section on line 44, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view of a further modification. Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view of the bed frame showing the bracing device thereof.

Similar reference characters are employed. to designate corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring to the drawing, A designates an ordinary wooden bedstead to which is apl plied the bed bottom designated generally by B. This bed bottom comprises a woven wire fabric or Web 1 which extends from the head to the foot and is of sufficient length to pass around and under roller rods 2 and 3 at the head and foot of the bedstead, and the end edges of the web or fabric 1 are re inforced by pairs of metal strips or bars at between which the edges of the fabric are held by the bars being secured together by rivets 5.

The extremities of the roller rods 2 and 3 are mounted to rotate in brackets 6 which are secured against the inner faces of the side bars 7 of the bedstead and these brackets have recesses or seats 8 in which the extremities of the roller rods are engaged. The brackets are secured in place by wood screws d and these can be attached to any bedstead already in use for applying the improved bed bottom thereto. The ends of the woven fabric or web 1 are connected together by a draft or tightening device designated generally by O, the same consisting of a central longitudinally-extending screw 10 having a hook 11 at one end which engages a plurality or" flexible elements 12 that have their ends rigidly attached to the transverse membore 4 at one end of the Web, and on the screw is a yoke or cross piece 13 provided with terminal hooks 14 with which are ongaged flexible elements 15 that are connected with the corners of the web 1 at the other end of the rod from that to which the elements 12 are connected. Between the cross piece 13 and adjacent end of the web are additional connecting elements 16 which enable a tension to be exerted on the middle of the web when the device C is tightened. On the screw is a nut 17 which bears against the cross piece or yoke 13 so that by manipulating the nut, the web or fabric can be loosened or tightened.

In applying the improved bed bottom to metal bedsteads, brackets of special form are provided in order that they can be clamped to the angle iron side bars. These brackets D, as shown in Figs. 3 and 1, are each formed with an L-shaped flange 18 extending along the bottom of the bracket and spaced therefrom and having a horizontal portion spaced from the bottom to provide a recess 19 into which the horizontal web 20 of the side bar 21 of the bedstead can extend and the bracket is secured in position by clamping screws 22 and 23 arranged respectively. These brackets are provided with bearings 24 for receiving the ends of the roller rods, and anti fr iction"rollers 25 may be provided for reducing the friction between the roller rods and their bearings.

In Fi, 5 a further modification is shown that inc" udes a helical Compression spring 26 on which the ends of the roller rods 3 bear, whereby the springs act as cushioning de vices, the springs being mounted in slots 27 in the brackets 28 that are secured to the bedstead.

In connection with the improved bed bottom, a bracing device, for the bed frame is employed, the same consisting, as shown in Fig. 6, of a pair of flexible elements 29 that have their ends fastened to hooks or equivalent devices 30 secured to the corner posts of thebedstead A, and the side rails of the bedstead are provided with hooks or equivalent fastenings 31 adjacent their centers and the elements 29 are engaged over such hooks. The elements .29 are drawn taut by the stretching device. 0 for the bed bottom, the elements being both passed over the hooks 1 1 and individually over the hooks 14 on the cross piece 13 of the stretching device, so that both the bed bottom and bracing means will be tightened at the same time. This bracing means prevents the side bars or rails of the bed frame from spreading so that the slats, when such are used, will not drop out, and furthermore, the bedstead is firmly braced.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying draw ings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merelyillustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. The combination of a bedstead, bearing brackets attached to the corners thereof,

transversely-extending roller rods mounted in the bearing brackets, a web of such length as "to extend from one roller rod to the other and around and under the same, a tightening member, an adjustable cross piece on the member, a set of flexible elements connected with one end of the member and with the adjacent end of the web, flexible'elements c0nnected with the other end of the web and with the cross piece, and means for adj usting the cross piece with respect to the member to vary the tautness of the web.

2. The combination of a bedstead, bearing brackets secured to the corners thereof, roller rods disposed in the bearing brackets, antifriction devices in the brackets, a web extending from one roller rod Lto the other and extending under the same, a draft device connected with the ends of the web for tensioning the latter, and elements connected with the sides of the bedstead and with a draft device to be drawn tight by the latter for bracing the bedstead,

3. The combination of a bed frame, a resilient bottom therefor, a bracing means for the bed frame, and a tightening device common to the bed bottom and bracing means, said tightening device comprising a screw extending longitudinally under the bottom, a member movable back and forth on the screw, an attaching means on. one end of the screw, and flexible elements connected with the said bottom and bed frame and connected with the JOHN VT. OROVVELL. Witnesses:

H. W. BORING, IV. H. MENDENHALL. 

